ALPHATIA (Empire of)

Location: Largest floating continent, in an equatorial orbit over the
Hollow World. HW

Area:
1,968,134 sq. mi. (5,097,465 sq. km.).

Population: 5,097,000 (humans 92%, elves 2%, all other 5%; note that this is
different from before because the "monster" population of Limn, which is over
4% of Alphatia's population, was unaccounted for in the previous
breakdown). [Population figures are
tentative, pending census. Ed.]

Coinage: Alphatian Standard: crown (gp), mirror (sp), judge
(cp). Various kingdoms may mint
other denominations in addition.
Kingdoms tend to prefer coins of their own mintage, and charge
conversion fees for coins from other kingdoms, especially esoteric coins. Coins of imperial mintage are accepted at
full value throughout the empire.

Taxes:
15% income tax on everyone of servant status or higher. Slaves are counted as the property of the
owner and the product of their labour is taxed as income for the owner. Individual kingdoms may also have some
additional taxes.

Important Figures: Eriadna (Empress of the Alphatian Empire,
Queen of Vertiloch, Queen of Alphas'ar).

Flora and Fauna: With its immense size and use of magical
arts, Alphatia boasts a wide variety of plant and animal life. One may find examples of just about any life
form known, as well as some previously unknown types.

Further Reading:Dawn of the Emperor boxed set,
previous almanacs.

Description by Zweibelterm and Gerta Knutsdotter.

Zweibelterm: Most of the readers of this publication will
recognise the Alphatia described herein, though it has been many years since it
has graced the surface of the planet.
Instead, the continent and people of Alphatia now preside at the centre
of the world, orbiting the twin suns of the Hollow World. Each of the magnificent kingdoms that
compose this majestic nation shall be given its due in a separate entry, but in
this entry I shall endeavour to instruct the barbarians with a thorough overview
of our empire as a whole, and of the Alphatian people.

Readers familiar with Alphatia as it was on the outer world will
find most features, especially geographic ones but including most demographic
features, to be exactly the same as they were, without alteration. Similarly, our society remains as it always
has been, operating in accordance with long-established customs which you
should familiarise yourself with before attempting to visit.

Gerta Knutsdotter: I submit to both the Lighthouse and to this Mystaran
Almanac my assessment of Alphatia compiled as a result of my travels and
studies of that empire. Alphatia is a
powerful and technologically and magically advanced empire set on the Hollow
World's largest floating continent. I
must note that the Alphatian people almost uniformly treated me throughout my
visits to their lands as at best a quaint curiosity and at worst with scorn as
a barbarian. While such attitudes are
found in other lands, such as Nithia and among the Azcans as well, the
Alphatians seem to have taken these attitudes of racial supremacy to uncommon
extremes, expressing unusually high degrees of contempt for "barbarians,"
especially non-spellcasters. I am lucky
in that, after having observed their Alphatian Neatharum in earlier years, I at
least knew the Alphatian tongue, for it is said that almost all Alphatians will
not permit foreign languages to be spoken to them. I should note that there are two basic versions of the Alphatian
tongue. One is "archaic Alphatian,"
supposedly the oldest known version of the language, in use today by Alphatia's
aristocrats as a mystical, arcane language and used at social functions by them
as a sign of distinction. The other is
"common Alphatian" in a variety of dialects, the language of everyday use
spoken by average Alphatians.

The Land (Gerta Knutsdotter)

The empire of the Alphatians consists as I said of the largest of
the floating continents. The continent
contains almost every type of terrain save for deserts, with large areas
seemingly affected by magic (either mortal or Immortal. Some plant varieties seem to be alterations
of types commonly found elsewhere, but changed to be able to exist in temperate
climes where the continent is found).
Alphatia is composed of rich tilled fields and lush plains given to
pasturage or left in a natural state, forests large and small, rolling hills
and several mountain ranges, from the large Kerothar Range which rivals the
World Spine Mountains to smaller ranges like the Aasla Spur and Grey
Mountains. Much of the land, especially
in the places inhabited by the more powerful mages, has been landscaped by
magic (see especially Vertiloch).

[Since I am from Vertiloch myself, I had better comment on this... To
Alphatians Gerta's comments might seem a bit lacking here, but in all fairness,
she never had the chance to witness the marvels of cities like Aasla or,
especially, grand Sundsvall. Many of
our greatest achievements and monuments were lost to the destruction of these
metropolitan cities. Though we
Alphatians haven't greatly changed the very landscape around us (at Landfall
our ancestors settled in the lands that best suited them, so little change was
needed), the best way to witness our achievements was to see our cities. In a great number of these, one can still
witness our impressive construction techniques. Many a time have I seen foreigners enter Sundsvall and nearly
lose consciousness [kaleidoscopically clashing colours and images have been
known to induce vertigo. Ed.]. It is difficult to grasp, much less
describe, the utter beauty and majesty of our structures and towers-the vast
buildings, some heavily decorated with infinite details that confound the mind
itself, while others were slick and solid, like huge, carved stones of basalt
or obsidian, yet in all colours possible.
Like I said, the greatest of these marvels have been lost to posterity,
but some examples can still be witnessed in a fair number of our cities. Though this naturally means that Gerta must
have witnessed at least some of these, I don't hold it against her that she
doesn't offer any great description for the simple reason that doing so is
exceedingly difficult. I have participated
in the construction of such structures myself, and yet I find myself unable to
offer a description that would do these marvels of magic justice. In fact, I fear than even a bard or other
skilled storyteller or author would not be able to truly capture in words the
very majesty of Alphatia's achievements in this case. We really would require an extremely skilled artist to accomplish
such a feat! Aritmanes]

There are a number of rich river valleys and three large lakes
(Llyn, Crystal, and Shiell). Because it
is a floating continent, there are no seacoasts. But the continent seems formed as if there should be seas, as if
those living here expected there to be seas, and the habitation pattern
reflects this (with most settlements clustered along the continental rim,
almost as if they were built as ports facing a now vanished ocean). There are beaches aplenty, but without the
water this seems to have caused some disruption. Resorts are seemingly built overlooking the void, as if they were
originally built facing seas. This
might be because the Alphatians consider themselves masters of aerial magic,
and thus build their dwellings like those of eagles, perched on the
ledges. But various details, small and
large, seem to belie this. More on
these discrepancies between the two versions of Alphatia's origins will be
explored later, but for now I shall give just one small example. Leaping dolphin motifs are common in places
like Bluenose, and some areas seem to lack sufficient food, as if they were
expecting a harvest from the sea or imports from beyond.

[This lack is somewhat made up for by use of the large lakes to
replace this lost resource, as Crystal, Shiell, and Llyn Lakes in due time pick
up the slack of providing maritime relaxation and some variety of fish. However, unfortunately, the varieties are
still limited to freshwater catches, which is a pity and an imposition upon our
refined palates. Still, other things
have filled this lamentable gap, as well as the gap in available imports of
exotic foods, but still the absence is felt, especially among the common people
who cannot avail themselves of such substitutions and whose diets and
livelihoods sometimes depended upon these lost resources from the seas. Also, an oddity perhaps is that despite the
lack of surrounding seas, the Haunted Marshes remain well-watered in southern
Vertiloch and southeastern Haven. These
marshes are said to be not only the haunt of various monstrosities, but also
the abode of lawless types who seek to escape just punishment in the
wetlands. This is fine by me, as it
usually saves us the cost and imposition of a trial, as these villains become
prey to the monsters that lurk therein.
Zweibelterm.]

Indeed, the inhabitants seem to recognise a disconnection between
their pattern of settlement and their current needs. The settled areas are along the rim of the continent and the
interior lands are sparsely inhabited in most cases, but this pattern of
settlement is undergoing change as a result of perceived reality, with a notable
migration towards the interior beginning, apparently all of the sudden.

In Alphatia, with a few exceptions, most of the land is sparsely
inhabited and left in a state of wilderness, with population clustered in a few
places, in concentration around the cities and towns with nearly empty lands
between these population nodes. This is
much like Nithia, where most of that empire's land is virtually uninhabited,
with people living clustered along the Nithia River. But in Nithia this is a matter of climate and terrain (with the
uninhabited lands being wasteland), while in Alphatia this seems to be a
conscious policy rather than a result of the environment, as the wilderness
areas are usually good lands. In
Alphatia people tend to live mostly in and around the cities. The wizards build their estates in these
areas, where they meet and socialise and conduct various businesses in common
(like magical research). The commoners
live clustered in communities around them.
They work either as part of the wizards' households, or as all those
around that produce the food on nearby plantations and craftsmen who create the
products that are needed to support the aristocrats and the society in general,
working as farmers, fishermen, and craftsmen.
Many of them work for the wizards, while some are members of the
freemen.

Thus most commoners live in or around the cities, and they are
forbidden from settling farther from them.
The rest of the land is left unsettled as wilderness, resulting in a low
population density in Alphatia as a whole.
There are some densely populated areas, and clusters of habitation, but
around these are vast wilderness areas, used sometimes as hunting preserves and
the like. In these unsettled lands, the
aristocrats are free to build additional estates. Thus as they grow in power and wealth, the aristocrats tend to
accumulate more estates; estates in the cities for socialising with each other,
and isolated estates to conduct their more private researches and affairs
undisturbed. They keep minimal staff in
these more rural estates (servants and slaves only). Rarely do they allow communities to build around their towers and
mansions; everything the wizard needs for his research or comfort is brought
from a city by his staff or by his magic).

Blackheart is the most extreme example of this pattern of
settlement, but it holds true in most kingdoms to a lesser degree. The exceptions are numerous though. Besides the demihuman kingdoms (Shiye-Lawr,
Stoutfellow, and Limn) and Stonewall, they are: Haven: because of the project
of beautification of the land cities tend to sprawl far and large, and most
wizards have estates in larger numbers in the cities and less as hidden labs in
the countryside. Ar: With most of the
aristocracy gone and the commoners left to themselves, and the need of other
kingdoms (primarily Stonewall) for large supplies of food, the fields have been
mostly turned to grain production and previously unexploited land is being
tilled as well. Bettellyn: there are
more cities and towns in that kingdom than in most, so that there is less land
left for hidden labs; besides, the kingdom is not so popular with wizards,
because it is more clerical than most would like it. Randel: basically standard, except that people here are more
militant and large areas are given over for military exercises; large swaths of
the countryside are still left for the wizards, though. Alphas'ar: is becoming normal, but is still
underpopulated both in terms of cities (the exception being Andaire) and hidden
towers (they used to be imperial facilities only), and some wandering, isolated
persons who try to avoid attention.
Vertiloch it seems was densely populated until recently, but seems to
have lost most of its inhabitants to some cataclysm.

Also, the land itself seems fractured in some places, as if recently
affected by a series of great earthquakes or by some other cataclysm or
disaster. As for the popular versions
of what caused this, see below.

The People (Gerta Knutsdotter)

I will limit myself to a general overview of the Alphatian people
here, and then discuss things separately as I describe the individual kingdoms
that make up Alphatia. As I noted,
Alphatians are a haughty and conceited people, who speak condescendingly to
foreigners, which they almost universally consider uncouth barbarians. They are extremely proud and conceited
regarding their civilisation, deeming it vastly superior to everyone
else's. Only the Nithian ambassadors
seemed to be excepted from this attitude and treated with respect, perhaps
because the two societies are both very magically oriented, with the difference
being that the Nithians' society revolves around Immortal magic while the
Alphatians' society is more dedicated to arcane magic. Never the less, this attitude is something
one must keep in mind when travelling here, as one must be acclimatised to the
attitudes that will commonly be expressed.
They simply do not believe any other people measure up to them, and
often denigrate other societies as if it were simply a given that no one but
themselves had achieved anything noteworthy.
While this is, as I said, an attitude that is found in other nations as
well, the Alphatians seem to have pushed this attitude to exceptional lengths,
and never even pause to consider that expressing it might be taken badly by
others. Even their currency says
"Alphatia Above All."

Alphatia is dominated by two human races, the "common" and the
"pure" or "high" Alphatians. Common
Alphatians (also called Cypri) have golden to coppery brown skin like Azcans or
Nithians, gold, brown, or red hair, and brown, gold, green, hazel, or amber
almond-shaped eyes. They tend to be
tall and slender. The so-called pure
Alphatians are less frequently found.
They have pale skin like Antalians but with bluish tints, black hair,
and black, blue, or purple eyes. They
are also usually tall and slender.
There are also elves and some other demihuman races in parts of
Alphatia, but these largely live in their own kingdoms and almost nineteen out
of twenty Alphatians belong to the two human races described above. Almost singularly among civilisations, the
Alphatians have no marriage customs.
This can make their family lives complex and even bizarre to
others. They are also quite brazen in
their sexual mores. I cannot tell you
the number of times I was boldly propositioned by an Alphatian who thought I
would jump at the offer to be his courtesan simply because an aristocrat was
extending his favour to a barbarian commoner, and seemed affronted when I
declined.

Alphatian society is built around magical talent and magic use. Newborn children are tested for magical
ability, with those who are found to have the ability being sent to one of
Alphatia's many fine magical schools and universities. Thus there are not only many mages among the
Alphatians, but an extraordinary number of them become quite powerful. The Alphatians like to enhance their art,
theatre, and other entertainments with lavish displays of magic, and their more
skilled elites enchant items on a wide scale for the purpose of entertaining
and fascinating each other. Their use
of magic on such a wide scale is captivating in many ways, and is one of the
hallmarks of their civilisation. They
have such a surfeit of magic that, at least among the aristocracy, it is a
backdrop of their enjoyment of life, though most of the applications they put
it to do not have much practical use as such, but are certainly awesome. Some of these items, especially the skyships
they seem almost obsessed with building and which can be compared to
Nithia's hover barges, could no doubt be quite potent in war, however,
though most of the Alphatians do not seem to be very warlike, with some notable
exceptions.

The Alphatians have their own set of Immortals, but largely seem
disinterested in venerating them and are not very pious. Unlike most priesthoods, especially the
Nithians with whom the Alphatians seem to have some affinities, the Alphatian
clerics seem more interested in the power and status they gain through the
favour of their Immortals, than in the teachings of those Immortals. Some kingdoms (again, notably Stonewall) are
exceptions to this general lack of interest in matters of faith, but overall it
seems most Alphatians pursue clerical studies not out of reverence but for
access to the spells, and thus status, that such study gives them. The Immortals seem to accept what they can
get, or so it seems, tolerating a lower level of devotion than in most lands.

Alphatians who can afford it, mainly aristocrats but wealthy
commoners as well, go in for extravagant makeup and hair styles, but prefer
simple, elegant jewellery. Theatre and
arts, especially magically-enhanced ones, are commonplace. Alphatian architecture is quite well
developed and advanced, with towering structures common. Magic is used extensively in the building of
monumental buildings frequented by the aristocracy and in the construction of
their abodes. A wizard's friends often
contribute to such construction efforts, sometimes adding little touches or
practical jokes to the project.
Powerful magics shape the nature of entire cities, creating wondrous
structures. Living dioramas, permanent
illusions, and pyrotechnic displays are among the most respected art
forms. Music, gambling, and a game
known as hard-ball which has some similarities to the Azcan game of tlachtli
(though without the ritual sacrifices of losers) are among the other forms of
entertainments relished in Alphatia.
Alphatia's economy is strong, built as it is on two factors: cheap labour
in agriculture, mining, and crafts (slaves and servants) combined with magical
disaster relief as needed. Their
economy seems to have been even stronger once, but it seems to have experienced
some economic setbacks recently, with the destruction of two major cities and disruption
caused in the wake of the earthquakes or cataclysm (depending upon which
version of recent Alphatian history you find most plausible-see below). Alphatia also has trade guilds that try to
make sure they get good wages for their members and high tariffs imposed on
imported goods, but except for the magically-oriented ones these guilds don't
have much influence.

In Alphatia, the sexes are considered equal and treated as such,
with no discrimination, unlike in Milenia or Antalia where doctrines of male
superiority predominate and subordinate the women. But one should not get the impression that Alphatians are
egalitarian in other respects, for their society is based on a hierarchy of
race (Alphatians above all others) and a social hierarchy almost as firmly
entrenched and structured as that of Shahjapur.

The Alphatians prize the ability to use magic above all else. In Alphatia, the spellcasting aristocrats
are chaotic individualists who have leisure and freedom of choice. They enjoy great wealth and prestige, and
though some start off with little more than the robe on their back this soon
changes as the society revolves around them and their well-being. The lifestyle of many of the aristocrats in
Alphatia is more sumptuous than that of similar classes in many other nations
in the Hollow World with the possible exception of Nithia, due to their access
to magical devices that enrich their means of entertainment and enliven their
leisure. All non-spellcasters are
destined to serve in some capacity or another.
Great power is possessed by individual spellcasters. Alphatia is a land where such exalted kings
can make a whim a law, if only for a day.
The Alphatian Empire is maintained through fear and intimidation,
eccentric blood ties, and sheer magical might rather than managerial efficiency
and impartial law as in Nithia or Milenia.
Those who lack the ability to cast spells have a status similar to Azcan
commoners (the tlacotin and maceualli tenant classes of Azca
being rough analogs to Alphatia's slave and servant classes). The servant class is not bound to the soil,
but they must, like the maceualli tenant farmers have a master and they
do pay taxes. But, unlike the more
successful maceualli, the Alphatian servant class never owns land. These commoners, the slave and servant
classes, would be called a helotry in Milenian or thralls in
Antalia. Most aristocrats who ponder
the question believe that everyone is happy and contented with this system
because it has lasted a long time, while others simply think everyone must be
because they are, and it is true that most of the servile classes are resigned
to their lot. But it might be on
account of the fact that hardly anyone, especially among the commoner classes,
has any basis of comparison of their social structure with others, as a result
of the insular nature of Alphatia. In
Alphatia few people have any true knowledge of foreign lands [like
Karameikos or the Five Shires. Ed.],
but instead simply dismiss them all as barbarians unworthy of consideration or
emulation, and thus they wouldn't know how their lives compare to the lives of
others. Some kingdoms, Stonewall comes
to mind and to a degree Randel and Greenspur as well, are more hospitable to
non-spellcasting commoners, and this might be why Stonewall, though a tiny
kingdom by Alphatian standards, is its most heavily populated one. But in most of Alphatia the distinction is a
sharp one: spellcasters form the respected aristocracy, and most others are in thrall. My lack of ability to cast spells, as a
"mere" warrior, was a handicap in my studies, as I was constantly treated as an
inferior, and with the exception of the few kingdoms mentioned above this made
it somewhat difficult on occasion to gain access to information, because of my
status as a "mundane barbarian." They
often judged me not on my own merits as a knowledgeable scholar in my own
right, but simply on my lack of magical ability. Therefore I might recommend that in the future a spellcasting
scholar be sent for further inquiry into Alphatian society, but I do think also
that the experiences one has in this society as a non-spellcaster are worthy of
relating, and are also an important aspect to be studied. It is hard to forget how things are when one
is experiencing things directly, and this I think gives my report added
accuracy and depth. Between the
enthralled classes and the aristocratic classes are the commercial classes-the
freemen and gentry, whose social role is similar to that of the Azcan pochtecatl. As social class is of utmost significance in
Alphatia, I shall discuss each class at further length.

Like the Nithians, Azcans, Milenians, and my own people, the
Antalians, the Alphatians have slavery in their society. But it might aptly be said that the majority
of their people are held in thrall, because all but the aristocracy and
wealthier commoners must have a master over them. There is no such thing as free-agency for average people within
Alphatia, thus making their society closer in some regards to that of the
Azcans than that of Milenia or even Nithia.
This is indicated by the titles of the classes in which most Alphatians
fall: slave and servant. In Alphatia,
some slaves seem to be of their own race, but many also appear to be Antalian,
Jennite, or Milenian [these would probably be from Norwold, Esterhold, or of
Minaean or Thyatian descent. Ed.]
and other exotic races. The slave is
property, as in other nations we are familiar with, but as in all nations it
differs in its particulars. An
Alphatian slave is little more than a mule-few are permitted to learn, few ever
even hold coin, and none have a possession they can call their own. Even touching a weapon is a death sentence
for them. An Alphatian slave's life is
often like the lot of the most wretched slaves in other lands, such as the tlacotin
of Azca. Some slaves do have relatively
less burdensome lives, serving as nursemaids, house slaves, or concubines, but
for most life is backbreaking labour from youth until death. Any aristocrat can slay them out of hand though
they must compensate the owner for destroying her property, and by imperial law
runaways are executed. Even the slaves
of Milenia are treated better than this, for unlike Alphatian slaves they
cannot be killed or maimed without cause and are permitted to have some minor
belongings of their own. The laws of
Alphatia, especially the ones pertaining to weapon use by slaves, seem to have
been put in place as a precaution against uprisings.

The servants are somewhat better off, being more akin to thralls in
other nations. They may not own land,
and must belong to the household of another.
Their main advantage is that they are permitted to change masters if
they can find one willing to take them on.
Some servants work for no more than room and board, the same that most
masters in Antalia or Milenia provide to their slaves, but sometimes with a
salary in addition. The Alphatians,
their aristocrats at any rate, often see this system as very enlightened
compared to other nations, as no one "wanders aimlessly," but rather all are
employed because all must either have a master or be one. By most accounts, nearly seven out of ten
Alphatians belong to either the slave or servant classes. [I doubt these
figures are entirely correct. Twenty
percent, meaning two out of every ten Alphatians, are wizards, yes, but that
does not include clerics like myself or other spellcasters who would also be
aristocrats. Aritmanes.]

In between the aristocracy and the enthralled classes are the
freeman and gentry classes. The wealthy
commoners have this status, though they are relatively few since the
aristocracy naturally does what it can to concentrate wealth in its own
hands. Many if not most explorers and
itinerants [she means adventurers.
Ed.] belong to the freeman and gentry classes, and those who do not
aspire to join it as soon as they are able.
Less than one person in ten seems to belong to the freeman class, a name
that indicates that this is the first rank at which an Alphatian is considered
to have freedoms. Freeman status is
achieved by owning a shop or business of some kind, and they do not have to
belong to the household of a higher-status person. They may own slaves and have servants in their households, but
must make enough money to keep their business registered with the empire, or
they will have their businesses stripped and find themselves reduced to servant
status. It is not unknown for
aristocrats to use their better connections to do this to mundane competitors,
driving them out of business to eliminate unwelcome competition. Sometimes, even, it is said that such
aristocrats then buy up the forfeited businesses and find a way to get the old
owner to be their servant and operate it for them. Far fewer belong to the gentry, with many of these seemingly the
progeny of aristocrats, children of theirs who lack magical ability and thus
are endowed by their families with 10,000 gp in a bank in order to keep their
status close to their families, and allow them to mingle with aristocrats in
social affairs.

All spellcasters, and only spellcasters, in Alphatia are
aristocrats. They lead lives of
freedoms and pleasures more luxurious than can be found in most other nations
because of the magical devices that are often available for their enjoyment and
entertainment (not all of the aristocrats have these things, but an unusual
number create large items, like rolling palaces or flying yachts). Only the aristocracy can wear the
spider-silk robe that is the distinctive garment of Alphatia's elites. Many study arcane matters throughout their
lives, becoming accomplished spellcasters, while others simply learn enough
magic to be accorded privileged aristocrat status, and then move on to other
pursuits. Lords, ladies, princes, princesses,
kings and queens are the ranks of the aristocratic class that have governmental
roles. These serve much the same
functions as rulers in most lands, administering and governing the empire and
its kingdoms. All these people must be
spellcasters, naturally, with one exception.
In the Kingdom of Stoutfellow, a kingdom of dwarves, gnomes, and hin
within Alphatia, the current queen is a warrior. The demihuman inhabitants of that kingdom do not seem to have
fully adopted the customs of Alphatia, but indeed seem to be recent arrivals
from elsewhere, operating almost as if under a distinctive charter.

Alphatia's legal system follows this bifurcation between the
classes, with a different code for commoners and for aristocrats, and different
penalties depending on the status of the victim. While some might think that they would expect a higher standard
of behaviour from the aristocrats, who are deemed in other spheres to know
better, this is not the case. Penalties
for aristocrats are significantly more lax than those for commoners. They make frequent recourse to ESP in
their proceedings, relying on magic to produce accurate results. But many less reputable types who I had
occasion to interview said that because of the widespread faith in and
dependence upon magic, this causes the authorities to underestimate common
intelligence, skill, and guile. Indeed,
in my travels I found this to be true, as I was able to acquire information
supposedly kept in great secrecy just by applying a little creativity. Also, Alphatia does not seem to have imprisonment
as a penalty, as many nations do-they impose fines, corporal punishment
(lashes), confiscation (including enslavement), and death. Imperial law concerns itself with preserving
the status quo. It protects the status
of wizards and sets the scale of social hierarchy used throughout Alphatia,
decrees how matters of succession is to be handled and establishes imperial
taxes. Beyond that, the kings have wide
discretion on other laws (civil and criminal).

As I mentioned above, there seem to be two distinct accounts of
Alphatia prevalent among its people.
Most believe Alphatia was always here, though they have difficulty
explaining their history and background.
This last shouldn't be too surprising, as most people in many lands are
unfamiliar with history. However, in
Alphatia those who believe Alphatia was always where it is have trouble
explaining episodes which took place in their own lifetimes and which they
experienced. For example, they believe
that much of the damage that can be seen here and there throughout Alphatia was
caused by a series of major earthquakes, but have trouble putting things into
context and there are odd gaps and discrepancies in their accounts. Pressing them on these things seems to disturb
such people. On the other hand, there
is a different, and though outlandish, more consistent and thus more plausible
account of Alphatia's history and background, the version held by the more
experienced and accomplished Alphatians.
In this version, Alphatia was until very recently a continent like most
others on the surface of another world, surrounded by seas. This Alphatia was part of an even larger
empire (indeed, it was its core), and recent events (described in detail by in
the attached account of Zweibelterm) led to a great cataclysm resulting in the
destruction of that empire and the transfer of the continent to where it now
resides. While it isn't uncommon for
the nations of the Hollow World to have in their lore legends of having existed
in another world in the past (the Azcans come to mind), I can think of no other
where there are two such competing versions like this. Also, those other nations which have such
beliefs in their lore date it back to the misty, almost mythical past, and not
so close to current times.

The People (Zweibelterm)

Alphatians are a justly proud people, set apart from all others by
their refined and ancient civilisation and its exalted traditions. We had mastered magic and the other arts
while most of your ancestors were living naked in rude huts or dwelling in
caves. The example of our culture is
emulated by all who have a pretence of civilisation, but none have come close
to our achievements. So read my words,
transcribed though they are in crude Thyatian you may still yet benefit from
them.

Alphatians divide our people by class and race. The Alphatian people do not mix with
esoteric and unaccomplished foreigners as the degenerate barbarians, especially
the Thyatians, do. The Alphatian people
are composed of the original, or "pure" Alphatians-pale of skin, dark of hair,
and fair of eye, and of the descendants of the Cypri, who are now known as
"common" Alphatians-copper-skinned, they are the more usual type of Alphatian
who is encountered. There are some
dwarves, gnomes, and elves in Alphatia now, as well as an entire kingdom of
what some would call "monsters." The
elves do intermingle somewhat, but for good reason most of these demihumans are
kept in their own kingdoms, where they can serve Alphatia but live in their own
ways. Indeed, one piece of advice comes
to mind which I shall generously share with you barbarians who may visit
Alphatia: be sure you know our language, as few commoners and no nobles, except
for the most permissive, will suffer to have other, lesser languages spoken to
them. Sure, we cannot expect you people
to be able to fully master our complex and beautiful language, but still you
must do your best.

Alphatians are also, as I indicated, divided into several classes,
on the basis of an enlightened social hierarchy. At the top, as is only natural and appropriate, are those who
have the blood and talent for magic, which is naturally and properly paramount
in determining one's status within society.
Why others, with the exception of the Glantrians (who learned from the degenerate
Flaems anyhow, and have created a twisted and imperfect replica of the
Alphatian social order), do not see fit to structure their societies on the
natural order of things, recognising the superiority of those who can wield
magic, is beyond me, but it probably has to do with the envy that those without
the talent have for their natural betters.
Thus they try to pull down what should be exalted, while civilised
people, by which I mean Alphatians, do not succumb to such base and spiteful
influences. In most Alphatian kingdoms
on the continent, the aristocratic class forms some twenty percent or more of
the population, a far higher proportion than the so-called aristocracies of
other nations. But our aristocracies
are also a natural one, based on a demonstrated talent for spellcasting, not
some ephemeral achievement that may not be indicative of true superiority. Another difference is that the ruling
classes of other nations are all expected to administer to the task of
government whether they have the inclination for it or not. This is not so in Alphatia, where the bulk
of our aristocracy neither has nor desires a role in political policy, but
would rather be given personal latitude and freedoms. What their position affords them is not government station in
most cases, but rather the freedom to do as they please and, instead of mere
administration or input into decision making, they devote their time to
developing their aptitude for magic, which is what we want. Of course, some of our aristocrats, the
lords and kings and up to the empress herself, do devote such time as they must
to ruling, but this only involves a small fraction of our aristocracy, with the
majority free from such cares and concerns, as I have described. But the aristocracy pays the lion's share of
the taxes submitted to our national and imperial treasuries each year, as we
have the most to offer. Thus, it can
never be said that we avoid our responsibilities.

Our system evidences great care for everyone, far different from
flawed societies that do not provide a proper structure and thus wind up with
discontent and strife. The proof of
this is that our empire has withstood the test of time without interruption or
upheaval throughout the centuries, stable and unchanging, while those nations
who cleave to plutocracy, believing that wealth derived from being a successful
merchant is an indicator of a capacity to rule, are young and ephemeral. Still more has it shown its manifest
superiority to systems that grant a useless "citizenship" to anyone and
everyone but then fail to provide them with direction and purpose.

The People (Aritmanes)

I shall try to limit my comments for the sake of brevity, though I
do feel there are some matters that I need to address here. Most importantly, we Alphatians are often
seen as arrogant and haughty by outsiders, which is frequently a surprise to
us. Many of us may indeed make the
mistake of automatically assuming that we're superior to other cultures, but
given the great achievements and learning of our empire and how we have
surpassed the accomplishments of others over the long life of our nation, I
really do believe that this is at least understandable. However, it is surely not correct to simply
assume that we discriminate toward all...
[I know how I was treated, and most of the people I saw who were of
obviously non-Alphatian background were generally treated even worse. Gerta Knutsdotter.] After all, we did incorporate Thothia into
our empire when we met their people (though contact with them is now lost to
us). We did deign to allow elves to
settle and even establish their own kingdom.
We even let dwarves, hin, and gnomes enter our empire and set up their
own kingdom under their own laws, where they know their place, and though the
vast majority of Alphatian aristocrats dislike Stonewall due to its
pro-commoner policies, we still allow the nation to exist. This does, at least to me, show that we show
some acceptance, if only to people like the Thothians, as they share our
pursuit of magic [actually, Thothians are dedicated to the pursuit of
mysticism, not magic. Ed.]. This is exactly where I think most
uncomprehending outsiders misunderstand us-they fail to see that, as an empire,
we put the pursuit and exploration of art above all else-magic being the
grandest art of all, and so, naturally, has with the greatest priority focused
upon it! This means that we require all
within our empire to aid in this endeavour, even those who have not been
fortunate enough of having been born with the gift of spellcasting, who must
then serve the attempt in whatever other capacity in which they are able. This is an ancestral trait of our people
which predates our very arrival on Mystara all the way back to Old Alphatia
where all our people had knowledge of arcane magic. This was not possible on Mystara, but rather than have our traits
die out, our ancestors modified the new empire to take this into consideration
and then based our society on those conclusions so that our desires for the
pursuit of magic has survived and even flourished-to deny our magical heritage
is to deny that we are Alphatians!
Those best suited to pursue this are wizards, and so all that can, which
are about twenty percent, will become wizards in Alphatia. Those who lack these skills can instead
become clerics, such as myself, and though we do lack the true creativity and
freedom in our magics that wizards possess, we can still contribute to the
greater pursuit of magic. Still, many
who cannot be wizards still do not choose to be clerics (even those who have
the option of doing so), which I really think should be taken as an indication
that life as a commoner isn't quite as bad as some foreigners seem to think,
even though it does mean living a life of servitude to at least some degree. [Though this might be more due to the
general lack of devotion to the Immortals than anything else. Truth be told, most Alphatian clerics become
such in pursuit of spellcasting ability, to escape the life of a commoner, than
due to reverence for the Immortals.
Ed.] I've lived all my life
in Alphatia, and I've rarely, if ever, witnessed evidence to suggest to me that
the general populace is greatly dissatisfied with their lot. Some are, naturally, but on average I get
the impression that we're all, including the lower classes, proud of our empire
and its achievements-our understanding and use of magic, our impressive
construction techniques, and our rich accounts of history which are written
with great accuracy as a consequence of the fact that Alphatia was a learned
empire which predates our arrival on Mystara [though these versions are
self-serving, as most nations' histories are, and all nations believe their
histories are more accurate than those of their neighbours. Ed.].
Though aristocrats are those who probably have the best opportunity to
study history (as they are usually the ones writing it in the first place), our
people are not quite as unenlightened as some foreigners seem to think. We do nothing to hide history, and our
history even reflects those parts that do not reflect well on our empire, such
as the events that predated our arrival on Mystara [though most Alphatians
seem to believe a version of their history which appears to be at odds with
actual reality, and are kept in the dark about the true history by conscious
choice of Alphatia's leaders as a deliberate policy. Gerta Knutsdotter.].
This was indeed an unfortunate and unwise part of our history, but
rather than ignore and suppress it, our ancestors decided to learn from it and
base the new empire on the mistakes that were made at the time instead, thus
attempting to turn the mistakes into strengths.

Foreigners are also typically appalled by our laws, which admittedly
favour those who know magic (the aristocrats) over those who do not (commoners
or lower classes). Still, though these
laws may seem lacking, one must remember that we're generally a people marked
by strongly individualistic and even chaotic traits and as such have little
respect for strict enforcement of rules [on themselves. I have witnessed how harshly they impose
them on their lessers. Gerta
Knutsdotter.]. So though a law may
grant an aristocrat the right to abuse his slaves, it is by no means given that
he or she will do so, although there are, sadly, many cases where this is
indeed true. We Alphatians do not
wonder so much about these laws that foreigners find so harsh because, we do,
in fact, expect them to be harsh so that the freedom of the aristocracy will
not be limited by these. But I firmly
believe that it is a misinterpretation to believe that because these
regulations exist as written that this indicates that the great majority of our
people will abuse these to their limits.
Many do, but then again, many do not.
Naturally, such a system may cause friction where two or more
aristocrats are involved, for which the practice of duels has been developed,
so that two aristocrats could duel each other for a solution when they could
not decide on something. Indeed, there
are even stories which claim that such duels have even been conducted over the
claimed mistreatment of members of the lower classes, but then such stories are
rare [actually, the aristocrats tend to duel each other over disputes
between themselves and often because of petty personal feuds, like many
Antalian warriors. I have never
witnessed, or even heard, of a case where a duel has occurred as a result of
disagreement on imposing punishment on a commoner, and commoners I asked about
this idea just laughed. Gerta
Knutsdotter.].

Recent History (By Zweibelterm)

The Alphatians have a long and magnificent history, a history of
wonder and triumph, but we shall not dwell on the past glories and successes of
the Alphatian people here. You can find
extant histories of our accomplishments and deeds elsewhere, and if you are
unable to, then that is a sign that you are unworthy to do so. So instead of spending my valuable time on
the distant past, I shall just give you an accounting of our more recent
experiences.

All are aware, I trust, of the war that was launched on the
benighted Glantrians due to their practice of dangerous magics twisted by
Entropy and on account of their wanton, unprovoked destruction of the glorious
city of Aasla as a result of their jealousy of our magical and artistic
superiority. This jealousy is what
caused them to turn to forbidden magics in the first place, in a desperate
attempt to outdo us, and it is what caused them to destroy the most brilliant
jewel in the Alphatian crown, wondrous Aasla.
[Though Aasla was indeed a city of wondrous magical achievement, it
still could not best Sundsvall. I
remember these parts of our history well as there was a great dissent within
the Order of Alphatia as to whether we should support Eriadna and oppose
Glantri or keep out of the whole affair.
Many of the more experienced of our order surprised us all by saying
that we should fully support the empire in its stand against Glantri, which was
shocking to many of us given Immortal Alphatia's peaceful traits and general
reluctance to support any imperial tendencies of conquest. Aritmanes.]. Faced with these things, we had no choice but to declare war upon
them, in an effort to remove their blighted presence from the world. Disturbingly, but really unsurprisingly, the
venal Thyatians and grasping Heldannic Knights decided to meddle in affairs
beyond their concern just as they had a century and a half ago when we were
first poised to bring the region now known as Glantri into our fold. They inappropriately intervened once again
in the war on Glantri's behalf, thus becoming the tools of the Glantrians in
this conflict. Though I did not fight
in this war, since some of us had to keep an eye on things at home and support
the war effort in other ways, I know some of those who did, including my elder
brother, Cratham, and I have heard their accounts and shall altruistically
impart them to you.

The meddling interventions of the Thyatians and the knights in
Norwold threw it into discord and strife for the duration of the war. Because of this, as well as the destruction
of our largest and best-prepared skyship fleet at Aasla by the nefarious
and vile Glantrian opportunists, we were compelled to alter our strategy of
war, and were diverted into a costly but uniformly successful war of attrition
against the enfeebled Thyatians. We
overran West Portage only a few months after war was declared, then pushed
forward over the next year until we were at the outskirts of Redstone. The siege of Redstone and Newkirk lasted six
months, until our war machine smashed the defences of Newkirk, capturing
it. After this victory proved our
dominance, the Thyatians in Redstone surrendered. Meanwhile, the Glantrians once again proved the kind of people
they are by seeding Alphatia, even unto our mighty capital, with terrorist
teams. Even those savages had to know
that such methods could not win the war for them, but their destructiveness
knew no limits. This caused many of us
to stiffen our resolve to crush them, and this was when my brother joined our
Grand Imperial Forces. But it also,
oddly and bizarrely, caused some dissension and opposition to the war among our
own people, especially the Shiye elves, though their forests were not even
affected by these Glantrian terror-strikes.
The Thyatians stubbornly held out in the northern head of the Isle of
Dawn until Eruul Zaar of Helskir wisely defected from their teetering cause in
exchange for the title of king and the hand of Thincol Torion's daughter. This allowed us to finish off their last
major strongpoint on the island. Though
they clung to the Shadow Coast in the south, that was not strategically
important.

After grinding them down on the Isle of Dawn from victory to
victory, brushing aside the barbarian armies in every major battle as the
Thyatians' so-called empire fell apart around them with even Thincol's friend
Stefan Karameikos knowing the wisdom of making an accommodation with glorious
Alphatia, we were finally in a position to send a fleet against Brun. Envoys sent to attempt to reach an
accommodation with the Ethengar barbarians for the destruction of our mutual
enemies, the blindly fanatical knights of Heldann and dark wizards of Glantri,
were, for some reason, never heard from again.
[I have no knowledge of this, though it wouldn't surprise me. It is indeed a sad truth that Alphatian
wizards are so blinded by their own powers and magical skills that they
frequently act superior to all others.
Such behaviour is accepted and actually even expected in Alphatia, but
it's probably not a good idea to carry such attitudes along if one travels
outside the empire, particularly to a place like Ethengar where, from what I
understand, they have little respect even for their own wizards. Given that the Ethengars and Heldannic
Knights went to war over such attitudes toward each other, it is easy to
imagine that such Alphatian wizard envoys might have seemed quite arrogant to
the Ethengars. They then likely decided
to show them just what they thought of such superior behaviour, just as they did
to "superior" missionaries from the Heldannic Knights years before, and which
caused the war between their people.
Aritmanes.]. Therefore,
since we were now in a position to kill two dragons with one meteor swarm,
having partially restored our sky navy during the war and bolstered our fleets,
we instead decided to finish off the weakened Thyatians before completing the
task of eliminating Glantri for its crimes against us. The accursed Thyatians foiled our attempt to
land on their shores in the summer of AY 2008 [AC 1008. Ed.] through guile and perfidy. My elder brother, Cratham, was serving on a skyship
when the Thyatian dogs intercepted our forces in the Sea of Dawn. It was a mighty clash, which we would have
won easily as we had the previous battles if it were not for the treacherous
tactics of the Thyatians. As a result
of these diabolical tactics, my brother's diary describes a bloody clash, and
he saw many a skyship destroyed and transport sunk, though indeed we
paid them back for every life they took.
But in the end, we had to withdraw back to the Isle of Dawn, our first
setback in the war. Never the less,
they could not thwart us for long. Six
months later, after some diversionary feints towards Heldann and Dawnpoint to
keep the insensate enemy off balance, our forces were landed in Ylaruam, easily
seizing Cubia in the face of weak Ylari resistance. Our military machine then rolled triumphantly into Thyatis again,
smashing into the disordered and confused Thyatian forces and overrunning Tel
Akbir. The vile dogs refused to give
in, however, in their stubborn ignorance they always failed to recognise when
they were bested, thus forcing us to kill more of them than would have
otherwise been required. They fought on
doggedly throughout most of AY 2009 [AC 1009. Ed.], even though no one would help them. This caused much suffering and waste of
life, and led to an increase in the misguided discord at home over the progress
of the war, with some going so far in their complaining as to undermine the
effort. They brought their fleets down
to Vanya's Girdle at Port Lucinius, covering direct access to their filthy
capital, and our navies could not press them back from the channel as we did
during the earlier Spike Assault.
Therefore, we resolved to continue the march overland, to push them back
and defeat them bit by bit.

Our forces pushed forward inexorably. The Thyatians, in their barbarous ferocity, battled us to a
standstill outside Kantridae, but we brought in reinforcements and went around
them, because at this point the pathetic Thyatians did not have enough troops
to block every avenue of advance. They
refused to budge at the Kantridae River, but again we brought up fresh forces,
forded upstream while our massed forces rolled into them at the point of
contact itself, and they were forced to cede the field. Thus we had isolated the city of Retebius as
their army fell back. But the defenders
behind the walls, though now largely youths and old men, forced us to assault
the city, as we could not afford to leave it as a strongpoint in our rear where
they could harass us. Though costly,
the assault was successful, but the skyship my brother was serving on,
the Aaslan Fury, was destroyed here.
He survived, but had to fight the rest of the war from the ground. In addition, unfortunately, this delay
allowed the defeated Thyatian armies to withdraw from Retebius before we could
finish the curs off. But they could not
stop us from marching in triumph down the road towards Thyatis City. All throughout this period, the treacherous
Thyatians had been sending infiltrators into our camps to murder our officers
and heroes, though they knew they could not win and these attacks were only
provoking our justifiable anger against them, causing retribution to attempt to
compel them to desist. At this point in
the war, one such incursion of assassins found my brother Cratham, and though I
am told he took several of them with him, my brother and the head of our house
was laid low. So here his diary of the
war ceases, and I must rely upon the accounts of others, brief though the rest
is.

We washed over Thyatis with ease, reaching the banks of the Mesonian
River. There the Thyatians' depleted
armies, slightly bolstered by reinforcements from Glantri and some Heldannic
Knights, attempted to face us again.
Many foolish Heldannic Knights are said to have charged prematurely, and
were swallowed up by our vast and victorious forces, and slain to a man (I am
told that among the Heldannic Knights these men are seen as some sort of
heroes. The true heroes are the
winners). The Thyatians seem to have
treacherously abandoned even their allies during the charge of the knights,
withdrawing their forces across the Mesonian River or through River Guard Town
into Thyatis City. Their ships
patrolled both the Mesonian and the girdle, and our triumphant generals were
coming up with a plan for crossing the river and assaulting their capital when
the Thyatian Emperor finally recognised the folly of continued resistance. A treaty of peace was signed, though for
some unknown reason Eriadna agreed to terms wherein we would withdraw from
Thyatis, rather than finishing them off!
For this, my brother died? But,
never the less, in it the Thyatians were forced to allow our armies to continue
across their lands unopposed, on our march to Glantri. I suppose that if the war had run its
natural course, we could always have returned to the matter of subduing Thyatis
once and for all later, treaty or no.
So I must assume Eriadna had good reason, and I do suppose subsequent
events proved her wise to want to reach, and eliminate, Glantri as quickly as
possible. So she ordered our forces to
advance as rapidly as they could through Thyatis and Karameikos, and to push
through the Five Shires and Darokin (which had neither the strength nor the
will to prevent us from doing so), and on to Glantri.

For, just as our armies had crossed over the Mesonian River and were
moving through that part of Thyatis which they call Kerendas, the vile
Glantrians put to use the very forbidden magics that this war was fought to
prevent them from developing. Knowing
what was about to happen, they foolishly provoked us by destroying our ancient
capital, Sundsvall, killing hundreds of thousands of civilians, and murdering
our empress. Just as an ode could be
written for beautiful Aasla, one could be written for Sundsvall, the City Built
by Magic, the product of two millennia of civilisation, destroyed in the blink
of an eye by the Glantrian savages. The
sinister magics caused magic to fail for a week. In Thyatis and Karameikos (where the vanguard of our forces had
already reached and crossed the Rugalov River), skyships crashed, at
times even on bewildered troops.
Instructions could not be received or messages sent through the usual
magical means to home, so the commanders had to decide on their own. Most decided to push forward as fast as
possible into Karameikos, lest the perfidious Thyatians take advantage of the
lack of magic as an opportunity to attack our troops. Other commanders, though, sought to withdraw to a defensible
position and await instructions. Still
others stayed where they were, likewise awaiting orders. The Thyatians seemed too stunned by their recent
defeat and too weakened to even dare to attempt their usual treachery and try
and take advantage of this situation, which was a good thing for them, as we
could have easily taught them a lesson had they forgotten already. [I think Zweibelterm is forgetting here
that Thyatian wizards and priests would have been hit just as hard by the lack
of magic as we were at the time. This
is a common mistake to make for Alphatian wizards, who frequently tend to
forget that Thyatis had many skilled spellcasters of their own. Aritmanes.][Something does seem to have taken place somewhere, however,
as surviving Alphatians after the war, either as refugees settling in
Karameikos or troops taking service with Thyatis or on the Isle of Dawn, do not
account for nearly the entire Alphatian army prior to the Week Without Magic. Many were killed when magic failed and skyships
tumbled from the sky, but still more seem to have been killed during the
week itself. Ed.]

Eventually magic returned and we discovered we had a new ruler, as
Zandor declared himself emperor. He
ordered the war to go on, though some thought this rash. He sent orders to the generals, commanding
them to continue on through Karameikos and push through the Five Shires and
Darokin, as was the original plan, with Glantri as their ultimate goal. But he also summoned the Grand Council of
Wizards, so hot tempered was he that he sought instant revenge and retribution
to be visited upon the Glantrians, heedless of the consequences. Some of the council refused this order,
seeing it as rash and intemperate, and indeed advocated negotiations to end the
war. These he ordered into exile. But most submitted to his order, knowing
that though it might be precipitous, the Glantrians had earned whatever fate we
would visit upon them. The Grand
Council undertook rapid preparations, and then left to destroy Glantri City
just as they had destroyed our two greatest cities.

But then the Glantrians once again, as some had feared they would,
unleashed their insidious magics.
Though the surface world entered a dark age as a result of the
unbelievable orgy of destruction they unleashed, the Immortals saw fit to
preserve us from this fate, and saved us.
We found ourselves, as befits the Followers of Air, elevated to a new
status, our continent floating suspended over the Hollow World, inviolate from
the savagery of the barbarians.
Unfortunately, our council was scattered or cut down by the bloodthirsty
Glantrians, and our armies stranded in Karameikos, where many, I have been
told, decided to settle temporarily.

For most Alphatians living upon the floating continent, their
memories have been altered to remove any traces of their existence upon the
surface world. Only Alphatia's more
knowledgeable and experienced persons retain the true memories of Alphatia's
past. For the unaware, Alphatia has
always been in Hollow World and the sinking has been replaced by false memories
of massive earthquakes and fierce firestorms. This has also done much to
explain missing friends and family members: either killed during the war,
killed during the sinking and not revived, and those stranded on the surface
world.

For those Alphatians aware of Alphatia's real history, the empire is
full of inconsistencies with its rewritten history. This noble lie has been embraced by the masses, despite the
numerous inconsistencies that surround them.
Perhaps the powers that altered their memories are just so
powerful. Perhaps the masses are too
busy in their duties to dwell on matters beyond their limited
perspectives. Perhaps they do recognise
them, but subliminally the real truth is too difficult to remember or
believe. Whatever the case, most
Alphatians have no memory of the events surrounding our movement to the Hollow
World, and indeed think we have always been here. The glories of our true past, and the comparison that can be made
between our migration from Old Alphatia to Mystara, remain beyond their
comprehension. We are now adjusting to
our new position at the centre of the world, just as we adjusted to the move
from Old Alphatia to Mystara, and have quickly begun to re-master all the
magics we are familiar with but which for a brief span of years were denied
us. Thus the cycle of our history is
renewed.

Regardless, the general population has been stripped of its
knowledge of the Great War: the costly victories, the submission of Thyatis,
the goal of Glantri at hand, and the treacherous sinking caused by the Doomsday
Device. Still, for most of these types,
the common servitors, it is not necessary for them to know, and was not even
before-their role is to serve, and to know what they need to perform that
role. It is the aristocracy's role to
know of history, so that we may guide policy with wisdom. Still, it is a curious and interesting anomaly,
worthy of study. To them those events
have been replaced by the false memories of massive earthquakes and blistering
infernos. Their individual lives and
recovering from these catastrophes has occupied the majority of their
time. Buildings have had to be rebuilt
and deceased nobles have had to be replaced.
However, life must and does go on.
For those like myself that are privy to Alphatia's true history, the
time since the sinking has seen us overseeing the recovery process. This not only includes repairing the
physical damage; it also includes familiarising ourselves with this Hollow
World and its attributes. Recovery is
not a massive unified project. Recovery
is focused on restoring Alphatia's prestige through the rebuilding of its
majestic sky navy and similar endeavours.
Even now, years since the sinking, there is still much damage
about. But already we have a new and
worthy capital rising in Alphas'ar at Andaire, just as we built Sundsvall after
Landfall. Eventually these projects
will be addressed. However, true
Alphatians do not dwell on such gloomy matters, but rather keep their gaze
elevated.